National Tea Day partner with Mental Health charity Mind to get people talking over a Cuppa

Campaign will work to further raise awareness around the importance of Mental Health in the UK

National Tea Day has partnered with leading mental health charity Mind to bring people together over tea and raise awareness around the benefits of sharing a cup of tea with friends or family to talk about what’s on their mind. The partnership will coincide with the official National Tea Day which marks the Queen’s birthday on the 21stApril, 2019 and will see 10% of the gate receipts from FesTeaVal, the family friendly tea festival on the 13th& 14thof April at Tobacco Docks, East London be donated to Mind. With one in four suffering from a mental health problem in the UK; and depression and loneliness on the rise, the partnership is aimed to encourage people to put down their phones and speak to those you know over a cup of tea, supporting better mental health.

Marco Geraghty, Director at National Tea Day, said: “We are delighted to be able to make a financial contribution to support Mind’s supportive work and enable the charity to provide support services to those most in need. In today’s busy society research has highlighted depression and loneliness is on the rise but many suffer in silence. This campaign aims to encourage the millions of tea drinkers in the UK to reach out to those close to them and allow those to talk about what is on their mind over a cup of tea.”The campaign messaging highlighting the importance of meeting up over a tea is also going to be implemented through a series of London Underground adverts as well as shared through national and social media channels, in a marketing campaign specifically designed to target young people.

Rebecca Hastings, Head of Corporate Partnerships at Mind, said: “We’re really grateful to National Tea Day for choosing to support Mind. It’s fantastic to see people get together over a cuppa to combat loneliness and talk about whatever is on their mind. “Every penny raised will fund our vital work including Mind’s Infoline, advice services and the campaigning work we do to secure a better deal for the one in four of us who experience a mental health problem every year.”

Loneliness isn’t a mental health problem in itself, but it is linked to mental health – feeling lonely can contribute to developing things like anxiety and depression, while people living with mental health problems are more likely to feel lonely. Stephen Buckley, Head of Information at Mind, said: “If your feelings of loneliness are having a negative impact on your mental health, talk to your GP. There are also lots of things you can do to help you feel less lonely, such as volunteering, starting a hobby or exercising. If you find social contact difficult, try a supportive online community like Mind’s Elefriends, or visit Mind’s info pages on lonelinessto find more information and support available.”

National Tea Day is celebrated each year on the 21stof April and is the official day in the U.K. to celebrate our love of tea. 2019 sees the launch of the ‘Reignite Your Passion’ campaign encouraging people to get excited about sampling great teas again and to opt for a healthy tea which can help you feel better.